Halia
by Mrs. Hannah Styles
Summary: Halia was a normal greecian girl up untill her 14th birthday when her life was took a turn for the worst


Long ago in Ancient Greece when the world was new and still ruled by the gods, the sky was always perfect. The sun always shone and the gods where happy. Mortals ran about on earth, and gods sat high in the heavens on Olympus, everything was in harmony. Of course, things never stay the way you want them to, even for the gods.

One day Zeus was walking through the streets of one of the many cities he was in which he controlled. He was walking down the street when he spotted a beautiful woman. In his eyes she was prettier than Aphrodite, goddess of beauty. She had deep brown eyes that sparkled like stars, and glistening brown hair so dark it was almost black. Zeus was instantly in love with this mortal, her name was Achlys. Well, as the story goes, Zeus and this woman Achlys had a child, her name was Halia. Halia was slender and tall with a Mediterranean complexion. She had long flowing dark hair and electrifyingly blue eyes.

Halia lived happily with her Mother in a small fishing village on the outskirts of one of the greater cities. She new absolutely nothing about her Father until her 14th birthday, when her life turned upside down. Visitors came and went. Each left a small gift, as this was their custom. While opening her presents she saw one that was wrapped in shiny gold paper, a luxury that her family, and many of their friends, could never afford. She picked this one up first with her blue eyes wide with wonder, her fingers slipped so smoothly across the unfamiliar surface. The shiny paper made no noise as she pulled out the items inside. One of the first that the package contained was a letter from her father. It explained all her questions and even more. Her father- Zeus- was asking her if she would go on a quest to find a magical fruit that would cure on of the gods (Hecate) of a horrible disease. How the goddess acquired this is a different story. Apollo had poisoned Hecate for casting a spell on one of his daughters after she offended her. The rest of the package consisted of battle armor, a magic cloke that would protect her, since it was like the Neman lion's pelt of fur, and a glowing bronze sword, the weapons of the gods. Halia called on her father to help her decide what to do. The god and the girl eventually came to the conclusion that Halia would retrieve the fruit, and bring it to Mount Olympus, so they could put Hecate out of her misery.

Halia explained to her mother what she must do. She begged and pleaded her not to go, but her opinion could not be swayed. She was to set out the next morning at dawn.

Halia traveled for miles and miles and faced monster after monster. Some where too horrible to name. She had a run in with a hydra, and had an argument with a river nymph, which didn't end well. There were other monsters that got in her way too, a sphinx, and one of Hephaestus's automata included.

Finally she reached the small, forgotten island where the mysterious fruit was kept. According to what Zeus told her, it was an odd looking fruit. I was rounded like an apple, but with ridges like a strawberry, and even more peculiar it was a bright orange color on the surface, and the color of a ripe grape. It was only grown here due to the often floods that left the land moist and fertile enough for the rare plant. A huge temple was in the center of the small island where mysterious island dwellers, that lived under the temple in a network of passages, to make sure the land stayed completely natural for the fruit, kept the delicacy. The easy part was getting to the needed fruit; the harder part was getting out. This is because there is a giant hellhound guarding the corridors which are needed to exit. You need to understand that these animals are very vicious and blood thirsty when they are in danger. Their sleek black coats are normally matted with some sort of blood, which could be animal or human. They have beady bright red eyes that always are wide with the intent to kill. Very few heroes have fought a hellhound and gotten out alive, and able to tell the story.

The "Mighty father Zeus," she whispered in her prayer "help me kill this beast." Without saying another word and trying not to make the slightest sounds, for the monster had amazing hearing, she crept towards the animal. She slowly raised her sword over her head, planning to bring it down with a great deal of force, killing the animal, since monsters burst into dust at the slightest cut by her magical bronze sword. The beautiful metal glinted off the marble polished temple floor of the sacred fruit. This is what caught the hound's attention.

The hellhound spun on its heels and bared its teeth at Halia. She had no time to react, even with her lightning reflexes. The animal pounced on her helpless form and she cried out in fear. Her sword clattered to the ground and she lost her balance, tumbling downward toward the unforgiving ground. Halia died instantly, due to a head injury, shattering her skull, from hitting the cold, marble floor.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHH" and rumbles of thunder was heard from Olympus the day that Halia breathed her last breath.

From Olympus Zeus watched his daughter perish, never to be seen again. Zeus began to bawl. He cried and cried until the sky over flowed with his tears of grievance for his daughter. Till this day it still pours down the mighty sky lord's tears. As for Hecate, she eventually got over the poison with out the fruit, though her power has never been the same or as strong since. Even thousands of years later every so often does Zeus begin to sob in remorse for Halia. Many mortals have interpreted this as the rain we know today. This is the story of why it rains.


End file.
